From the
classic game
The Fool's Errand, this card game entertained me for quite some time. Its a deceptively simple game played with the major arcana from a tarot
deck that bears a similarity to
Black Jack.
The dealer and the player are each dealt two cards from the Major Arcana of the tarot deck, one face up, once face down. Three cards are dealt face up between the two players. The player could then select one of the three cards to add to the existing hand or forfeit at a penalty of 27 points. After this, the dealer would then select a card from the remaining two or forfeit with a penalty of 27 points. If both players had the same score, the tie was broken by looking at the highest valued card (first list below). Example: Hierophant and Hermit beats Emperor and Empress (both Royal Pairs) because the Hierophant has a higher value. Likewise, Magician and Fool (High Pair, 81 points) beat Tower, Chariot, Lovers (Low Triplet, 81 points) because the Magician has a higher value.
Winning with no pair or triplet scored 9 points. Winning with a pair would score between 18 and 81 points, and winning with a triple would score between 81 and 144 points. First person to 700 points wins.
Value of single cards:
- Death
- Magician
- High Priestess
- Hierophant
- Devil
- World
- Moon
- Star
- Justice
- Judgment
- Strength
- Emperor
- Empress
- Hanged Man
- Hermit
- Wheel of Fortune
- Temperance
- Tower
- Chariot
- Lovers
- Fool
Combinations of cards, and point value. The triple is 72 points higher
valued than the pair. There is no High Triplet.
Dark: Pair 72; Triple 144
Astral: Pair 63; Triple 135
Council: Pair 54; Triple 126
Royal: Pair 45; Triple 117
Mortal: Pair 36; Triple 108
Lucky: Pair 27; Triple 99
Low: Pair 18; Triple 81